Friday, February 24, 2017

In order to take your racing to the next level, your training plan needs to develop all aspects of your athleticism with progression and consistency. My philosophy as a coach is to create an environment that enables athletes to understand their tendencies while developing them to be their best. If you want to be a complete, well-rounded athlete, you have to train the full range of all your systems.

This program is designed for intermediate athletes training for an Olympic-distance triathlon. An athlete taking on this eight-week program should have a background of successfully completing and sustaining eight weeks worth of training with a base of at least six hours per week. The key is consistency and adhering to the training zones described here. With the right focus and hard work, you’re bound to race your best Olympic this season!

Training Zones

Easy: 4/10 effort levelThis is very low intensity training that promotes increased oxygen absorption and can aid in injury prevention and recovery. No fueling is required in this zone, and all your warm-up and cool- down time surrounding workouts should be spent here.

Aerobic: 6/10 effort level The majority of your training each week should be dedicated to this zone, which is moderate in intensity and increases your ability to tolerate higher workloads. Very little concentration is needed, and you should be able to carry on a complete conversation.

Tempo: 7/10 effort level When conversation becomes difficult and you take your first deep breath—that’s when you’ve reached the tempo zone. Your concentration at this effort should start to switch on.

Threshold: 8/10 effort level A large portion of your training should be spent here, as it develops the ability of your fast-twitch muscle fibers and improves your body’s ability to process lactate. Threshold requires solid concentration, and breathing should be labored but manageable.

VO2 max: 9/10 effort level Your Vo2 max work is where high speed gains are made. Recovery from this zone takes the longest, and training at this intensity is also higher risk—warm-ups and cool-downs are essential.

Conditioning-specific strength endurance: 7/10 effort levelThe effort for this type of training is similar to the tempo zone, but while working with a high load of resistance or using max torque to build strength.

Neuromuscular quickness:Keep the load extremely light in this zone, with a focus on a high, smooth turnover. For experienced athletes, this session can aid in recovery. High coordination is required.

Tuesday:Bike 45 min• Warm-up: 20 min easy• 4x[30 sec right leg only/30 sec both legs/30 sec left leg only]Tip: When single-leg pedaling, let the unclipped leg just hang unsupported, and keep smooth circles with the pedaling leg.In an easy gear with no tension:• 2 min at 90 RPM• 1:30 at 95 RPM• 1 min at 100 RPM • 45 sec at 105 RPM• 30 sec at 110 RPM • 45 sec at 100 RPM • 1 min at 95 RPM• 1:30 at 95 RPM• 2 min at 90 RPM• Cool down easy to reach total timeThis session’s goal is neuromuscular quickness under a very light load with easy gearing. HR should stay low. Power is low. Efficient, smooth pedaling is the focus. If you start to bounce on the saddle or move around a lot, you need to smooth out the pedal stroke.

Run 45 min• Jog easy for 10–15 min on flat terrain• 5×1 min steady-strong uphill, focus on good form. Jog back to the bottom for recovery.• 5×1 min on a slight downhill or flat road, building cadence throughout the 1 min• 1 min easy jog between each• Cool down 10 min jog

Sunday:Run 50 min• 15 min of easy aerobic warm-up• Then do a “ladder” for 10 min, where you go from walking to tempo pace, increasing your step pace every minute. Power walk for a couple minutes.Main Set• 16 min total• 1 min on at tempo pace/1 min off at 50% of VO2 max Key things:• If you lose form then you are either going too fast, or you have done enough repeats. It’s easy to tell when form is gone on treadmill because you’ll start pounding the deck!• Cool down to reach total time

Run 45 min• Include 6×90 sec uphill• Slow jog back down for recovery• Hill reps should be done on a sufficient grade but not a steep hill. These efforts should be strong but not full speed.

Friday:Swim 2300Goal of the entire workout is to swim the second 1000 faster than the first• 200 easy and relaxed on 15 sec rest• 4×75 steady with the middle 25 fast on 10 sec rest• 100 easy• 1000 start easy and build to steady effort (note time)• 100 easy and relaxed• 1000 swim faster than the first one (note change in effort required to swim faster)• 100 cool-downThese long swims are an essential part of building up the mental skill required for success in open water. The two that are important: (a) a relaxed start and (b) the capacity to be strong at the end.

Friday:Swim 2500• 400 choice warm-upMain Set (40×50)• 16×50 as 1 fast, 3 steady (x4), all on 5 sec rest• 12×50 as 1 fast, 2 steady (x4), all on 10 sec rest• 8×50 as 1 fast, 1 steady (x4), all on 15 sec rest• 4×50 all fast, 20 sec rest• Do the first 16 with buoy and band (if you have band experience). Do the next 12 with no gear. Do the next 8 with small paddles.• Cool-down as needed

Wednesday:Swim 2000• Continuous and relaxed—if you’re feeling good, the last 1000 should alternate fast/easy by 100

Bike 1:00• Warm-up 15 min easy• 30 min progressive big gear• Start in a gear where you are pushing 70 RPM• Work your way to bigger gears each 5–10 min, until the last 5 min (of the 30 min) you are pushing 50 RPM• Do this on a flat road in race position.• 15 min easy spin to finish

Saturday:Bike 2:00• Warm up 5–10 min• 2x(30 sec right leg only/1 min both legs/30 sec left leg only)• 5 min progressive: Start in a gear that puts you at about 60% effort. Each min, click up one gear harder to workyour way to 80% by the end of the 5 min.• 2 min easy Main Set• TT best effort• Build throughout the rep to best effort. This should be challenging! Go by feel to get your best possible TT effort today.• 2×6 min TT effort/2 min easy• 5 min recovery• 2×6 min TT effort/2 min easy• 5 min recovery• 2×6 min/2 min easy• Cool down easy to reach total time

Sunday:Run 1:00Split the run into thirds:• Easy effort for first third• Tempo effort second third• Hold your tempo pace in final third, effort may increase a bit to thresholdAlways start at an effort that leaves you room to finish strong. This is an endurance session, keep the effort comfortably aerobic at all times. If you find that you have to raise HR by more than 5% to hold steady pace, it is best to dial down the middle pace so you don’t have to “race” at the end of the workout.

Friday:Pre-Race WorkoutsRun• Pre-race: 10 min easy, include 4×30 sec strides (con- trolled, smooth, faster than race pace, but not forced). Full recovery between strides, 2 min jog.Bike• On the race course: Warm-up for 15 min easy, then ride 5 min progressive build to a comfortable but steady effort around race pace. Ride 5 min easy, then 4×30 sec faster than race pace with 90 sec easy between each. Cool down with 10 min easy.Swim• On the race course: Warm up 100 mixed strokes, easy. Then do a progressive build effort for 100, followed by 50 easy. Practice 2–3 race starts with 10 strokes fast followed by easy swimming back to the start in between. Finish with 100 easy, mixed strokes.• Have a look at sighting markers, the entry and exit paths to/from transition, and for any currents in the water.

Saturday:Race Day• Warm-up: Jog 3 min very easy, 2×1 min build to race effort, 30 sec walk, 3 min jog.• If possible, get in the water to do 2–3 10 stroke pick-ups with full recovery followed by a couple easy minutes.• Alternatively, try the swim cord routine at Triathlete. com/swimcordwarmup.